Motor vehicles commonly include an engine/transmission unit at the front of the vehicle, a drive axle at the rear of the vehicle, and a propeller shaft spanning the longitudinal distance between a transmission output shaft and a differential pinion input shaft. One-piece propeller shafts are common where the span is relatively short and have been used in combination with torque beams that react brake and acceleration torque from the drive axle to the engine/transmission unit. Two-piece or split-shaft propeller shafts are common where the span is longer and usually include a short front shaft, a short rear shaft, a universal joint between the front and rear shafts, and a shaft support on the vehicle body or frame to rotatably support the split-shaft where the front and rear shafts are connected. Solid, one-piece shafts have been used in long span environments inside of torque tubes connected at opposite ends to the engine/transmission unit and to the drive axle. Some torque tube systems have also included a resiliently backed bearing mounted in the torque tube generally at the center of the long, solid shaft. A motor vehicle drive system according to this invention is an improvement over prior systems having split-shaft propeller shafts and one-piece, solid shafts.